You encounter chemistry every day, yet might have trouble recognizing it, especially if you are asked as part of an assignment! What are some examples of chemistry in daily life?
Examples of Chemistry in the Real World
There are many examples of chemistry in daily life, showing how common and important it is.
- Digestion relies on chemical reactions between food and acids and enzymes to break down molecules into nutrients the body can absorb and use.
- Vitamins and minerals are everyday chemicals we need for survival.
- Hormones are chemicals that help us grow, heal, sense the world around us, and find love.
- Soaps and detergents act as emulsifiers that surround dirt and grime so it can be washed away from clothing, dishes, and our bodies.
- Fire is combustion, which is a chemical reaction. It cooks food, heats homes, and runs vehicles.
- Drugs work because of chemistry. The chemical compounds may fit into the binding site for natural chemicals in our body (e.g., block pain receptors) or may attack chemicals found in pathogens, but not human cells (e.g., antibiotics).
- Cooking is a chemical change that makes food more palatable, kills dangerous microorganisms, and makes it more digestible. The heat of cooking denature proteins, promotes chemical reactions between ingredients, carmelizes sugars, etc.
- Cosmetics are chemicals we use that improve our skin and change our appearance.
- Insecticides, herbicides, and pesticides are examples of chemicals that control pesky plants and animals.
- Synthetic fabrics and plastics come from chemical reactions, usually starting from petroleum.
- Paint is a complex mixture of colorful chemicals.
- Perfume is a set of chemicals that change the way we smell.
Reader Submissions: Chemistry in Everyday Life
Here are some examples of chemistry, from readers just like you.
- Medicines are the best example of chemistry. They save us from diseases and helps us live. They contain chemical compounds. —aim
- Everything is the product of chemistry. In the morning, we use toothpaste, which is a chemistry product. At night when we go to bed we burn a coil which contains chemicals that keep mosquitoes far from us. —Animesh
- You apply chemistry in your daily life to make sure any drugs you use aren’t compromised or overly strengthened by the foods you eat. For example, alcohol affects many drugs. Some medications are negated by eating something as seemingly harmless as grapefruit! Others contain caffeine as an active ingredient, so if you take the medicine with coffee or cola, you’re increasing your dosage. —gemdragon
- Colors in clothes come from azo dyes, which are organic compounds. —RG veena
- Chips in computers come from silicon. Electricity comes from chemistry in the form of electrons. —P Katual
- Our food is not tasty without salt. Salt is a chemical compound. —Tarun Omer
- Think of living without water or your favorite snacks. We are nothing without chemistry! —swati
- Chemicals make our clothes clean. We use chemicals when washing utensils. —swetha
- Fertilizers are one of the best examples of chemistry in everyday life. —savita
- Food is all about chemistry. The ingredients are chemicals. Cooking is a set of chemical reactions. Even the spoon you use is a chemical. —Satya ranjan jena
- The cement and other materials that we use in construction of houses (paints, plaster) are products of chemistry. —Hamna Riaz
- Cosmetics are chemicals we use that make us more attractive. —shikhar
- Water is an everyday chemical. It contains elements and hydrogen bonds and participates in chemical reactions. —junaid bangash
Do you have more examples of chemistry in daily life? Post a comment!